Renault’s electric Fiesta rival

By Tom Phillips

September 2010

Meet the Renault that’s set to give the Fiesta an electric shock. The Clio-sized Zoe features Renault’s new brand styling identity and is fully electric. But best of all, this Paris show concept is 90 per cent of what the car you’ll be able to buy in 2012 will look like.

The Zoe features the distinctive new Renault front end. Inspired by the DeZir concept car, the look is the work of new design boss Laurens van der Acker who wanted to create “sensuous, reassuring, sculpted styling” for the car.

Measuring 4.09-metres in length, 1.79-metres in width and 1.54-metres in height, the Zoe is just a little bigger in every dimension that the current Clio, which ensures decent interior space.

The interior is more far-fetched than the exterior, and has concept-only features like a skin hydrating climate control system, special ambient music and a light therapy system designed in partnership with Philips.

The Zoe is powered by a 60kW (79bhp) electric motor, with electricity provided by a lithium ion battery which gives a range of 100 miles. Top speed is a highly respectable 84mph while 0-62mph takes just 8.1 seconds.

There are three ways to charge the Zoe too. A household plug takes between six and eight hours, a fast charge point gives a 37-mile range after a charge of less that 10 minutes, and can achieve an 80 per cent charge in half an hour, while the ultimate solution is a Quickdrop battery exchange which will allow drivers to swap flat batteries for charged ones in just three minutes.